Though Cecil County was not established by Lord Baltimore and his colonists until 1674, a small settlement came prior to that time. In 1633, twenty five years after [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Smith_(explorer) John Smith] sailed the tributaries of the Upper Chesapeake Bay, Englishman [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Claiborne William Claiborne] opened a trading post on Palmers Island at the mouth of the Susquehanna. He traded beavers and furs with the Susquehannocks, and sold them to the French in Canada. A small settlement and a plantation surrounded the first white man's post in the area.

Though Cecil County was not established by Lord Baltimore and his colonists until 1674, a small settlement came prior to that time. In 1633, twenty five years after [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Smith_(explorer) John Smith] sailed the tributaries of the Upper Chesapeake Bay, Englishman [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Claiborne William Claiborne] opened a trading post on Palmers Island at the mouth of the Susquehanna. He traded beavers and furs with the Susquehannocks, and sold them to the French in Canada. A small settlement and a plantation surrounded the first white man's post in the area.

Line 54:

Line 66:

==== Parent County ====

==== Parent County ====

−

*'''1674--'''Cecil County was created 6 June 1674 from [[Baltimore County, Maryland|Baltimore]] County by a proclamation by the Proprietary Governor Cecil Calvert.&nbsp; '''County seat:''' Elkton.<ref name="HBG">[http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/50140092&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;referer=brief_results ''Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed.''] (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), 181. [FHL book 973 D27e 2002].</ref>

+

*'''1674--'''Cecil County was created 6 June 1674 from [[Baltimore County, Maryland|Baltimore]] County by a proclamation by the Proprietary Governor Cecil Calvert.&nbsp; '''County seat:''' Elkton.<ref name="HBG">[http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/50140092&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;referer=brief_results ''Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed.''] (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), 181. [FHL book 973 D27e 2002].</ref>

==== Boundary Changes ====

==== Boundary Changes ====

−

*'''1659''' - Much of what is now Cecil County was originally attached to [[Kent County, Maryland|Kent County]] until [[Baltimore County, Maryland|Baltimore County]] was created 12 January 1659.&nbsp;<ref name="inhabitants" /> [[Image:Province of Maryland Boundaries.PNG|thumb|right|300px]]

+

*'''1659''' - Much of what is now Cecil County was originally attached to [[Kent County, Maryland|Kent County]] until [[Baltimore County, Maryland|Baltimore County]] was created 12 January 1659.&nbsp;<ref name="inhabitants" /> [[Image:Province of Maryland Boundaries.PNG|thumb|right|300px|Province of Maryland Boundaries.PNG]]

*'''1674''' - Cecil County was erected by proclamation on June 6, 1674. The original boundaries of Cecil County, as created in 1674, by proclamation of Governor Charles Calvert, are described as follows: "From the mouth of the Susquehanna River down the eastern side of the bay to Swan Point, thence to Hell Point, and so up Chester River to the head thereof." Nothing appears to have been said about the eastern or northern bounds of the county, because they were in dispute, nevertheless the lord proprietary still claimed to the Delaware and to the fortieth degree of north latitude. These bounds were slightly varied by another proclamation issued a few days afterwards, which there is reason to believe threw a small part of what is now the extreme southwestern part of Kent County under the jurisdiction of the authorities of Kent Island. <ref name="geological">Maryland Geological Survey, George Burbank Shattuck, Florence Bascom, Edward Bennett Mathews, Clarence Wilbur Dorsey, Jay Allan Bonsteel, Oliver Lanard Fassig, Henry Albert Pressey, Louis Agricola Bauer, Hugh M. Curran, George Bishop Sudworth. Cecil County, Volume 1. Page 26. Geological Survey (U.S.), United States. Bureau of Soils. Digitized by [http://books.google.com/books?id=d7VLAAAAMAAJ Google Books]</ref>

*'''1674''' - Cecil County was erected by proclamation on June 6, 1674. The original boundaries of Cecil County, as created in 1674, by proclamation of Governor Charles Calvert, are described as follows: "From the mouth of the Susquehanna River down the eastern side of the bay to Swan Point, thence to Hell Point, and so up Chester River to the head thereof." Nothing appears to have been said about the eastern or northern bounds of the county, because they were in dispute, nevertheless the lord proprietary still claimed to the Delaware and to the fortieth degree of north latitude. These bounds were slightly varied by another proclamation issued a few days afterwards, which there is reason to believe threw a small part of what is now the extreme southwestern part of Kent County under the jurisdiction of the authorities of Kent Island. <ref name="geological">Maryland Geological Survey, George Burbank Shattuck, Florence Bascom, Edward Bennett Mathews, Clarence Wilbur Dorsey, Jay Allan Bonsteel, Oliver Lanard Fassig, Henry Albert Pressey, Louis Agricola Bauer, Hugh M. Curran, George Bishop Sudworth. Cecil County, Volume 1. Page 26. Geological Survey (U.S.), United States. Bureau of Soils. Digitized by [http://books.google.com/books?id=d7VLAAAAMAAJ Google Books]</ref>

*<span id="fck_dom_range_temp_1277308173025_456">The present county of Kent was in the original bounds of Cecil County for two weeks, until the inhabitants of Kent demanded their territory be returned. <ref name="geological" /></span>

*<span id="fck_dom_range_temp_1277308173025_456">The present county of Kent was in the original bounds of Cecil County for two weeks, until the inhabitants of Kent demanded their territory be returned. <ref name="geological" /></span>

Cecil County Maryland History

Though Cecil County was not established by Lord Baltimore and his colonists until 1674, a small settlement came prior to that time. In 1633, twenty five years after John Smith sailed the tributaries of the Upper Chesapeake Bay, Englishman William Claiborne opened a trading post on Palmers Island at the mouth of the Susquehanna. He traded beavers and furs with the Susquehannocks, and sold them to the French in Canada. A small settlement and a plantation surrounded the first white man's post in the area.

There are two names that will forever be linked to the establishment of Cecil County. The first is the Second Lord Baltimore, Cecilius Calvert (1605-1675), for whom the County was named. He ruled the land called Maryland, after his father -The First Lord Baltimore died. He was the first Proprietary Governor of the colony of Maryland from 1632 until his death in 1675.

The second name is that of Augustine Herman, one of Cecil's first land owners. Herman offered his masterful map making skills to create a map of Maryland, and in exchange received a large tract of land that spread out from the Bohemia River. Because of his skills he was considered an important man, and it was Herman who was able to convince Charles Calvert, the second Proprietary Governor of the Province of Maryland, to divide Cecil County out of Baltimore County. In 1674 Herman's wish was granted, and by proclamation, the boundaries for the new county of Cecil were established. The first courthouse was located on the Sassafras River.

Boundary Changes

1674 - Cecil County was erected by proclamation on June 6, 1674. The original boundaries of Cecil County, as created in 1674, by proclamation of Governor Charles Calvert, are described as follows: "From the mouth of the Susquehanna River down the eastern side of the bay to Swan Point, thence to Hell Point, and so up Chester River to the head thereof." Nothing appears to have been said about the eastern or northern bounds of the county, because they were in dispute, nevertheless the lord proprietary still claimed to the Delaware and to the fortieth degree of north latitude. These bounds were slightly varied by another proclamation issued a few days afterwards, which there is reason to believe threw a small part of what is now the extreme southwestern part of Kent County under the jurisdiction of the authorities of Kent Island. [3]

The present county of Kent was in the original bounds of Cecil County for two weeks, until the inhabitants of Kent demanded their territory be returned. [3]

1732 - In 1732 John, Richard and Thomas Penn, who by will of their father had become joint proprietors of Pennsylvania, entered into a written agreement with Charles Calvert, the fifth Lord Baltimore, for the adjustment of the boundaries of the two provinces. trans-peninsular line

1767 - The Mason-Dixon linewas established to end a boundary dispute between the British colonies of Maryland and Pennsylvania/Delaware.

1829 - The Legislature appointed commisioners to locate the boundary line between Cecil and Harford counties. They finished their work in 1832. Their report shows that they began at the State line, at a rock called Long Rock, in the middle of the Susquehanna River, and continued the line southwardly by various islands and rocks in the river until they reached a large rock at the lower part of Watson's Island.[4]

Cecil County Maryland Genealogy Resources

Bible Records

Cemeteries

There is a Cemetery Survey for Cecil county at the Maryland State Archives. The survey contains information about the cemetery at the time of the survey in the 1930s. The survey files DO NOT contain actual cemetery records.MSA S 1512-2777 00/59/06/55

Transcriptions of various cemeteries in Cecil County can be found at the following websites:

Cecil County Cemetery Records from the Historical Society of Cecil County. On this page, you will find links to PDF files containing an inventory of Cecil County tombstone transcriptions. One of their most experienced family history researchers and a past president of the Genealogical Society of Cecil County, Gary Burns, has worked several years compiling this detailed spreadsheet. It is still a work in progress and only goes to the letter P right now, but you will find over 29,000 entries for Cecil County Tombstones thus far.

For more information about Cemeteries in Maryland please refer to the Maryland Cemeteries page.

Census

The 1693 census of the Swedes on the Delaware : family histories of the Swedish Lutheran Church members residing in Pennsylvania, Delaware, west New Jersey and Cecil County, Md., 1638-1693, by Peter Stebbins Craig. Available through the Family History Library, as well as other places.

Churches

Maryland State Archives' has a list of churches in Cecil County, compiled at the time of the WPA survey in the 1930s, MSA S 1512-2113 00/59/06/48. It covers all denominations and includes record descriptions. Note that Maryland State Archives WPA Survey files listed contain information about the church and records found at the church at the time of the survey in the 1930s. The survey files DO NOT contain actual parish registers or similar church records.

Nottingham, Cecil County, Maryland Quaker Records at Ancestry.com (subscription required). This database contains records for the Quaker Monthly Meeting for the city of Nottingham, which lies in Cecil County. Researchers may find records of birth, marriage and death for their nineteenth- century Quaker ancestors listed in this database.

Church of England

Court

Guardianship results for Cecil County in the Family History Library catalog

Before 1776, information may be found in any one of the following types of courts:

The Admiralty Court - Following the restoration of the Proprietary government, no Admiralty Court sat in Maryland until a Vice Admiral was commissioned in 1756. The court's jurisdiction included contracts, accounts, wages, treason, piracy, felonies, fugitives, mayhem, and bottomry (cases in which a shipowner put the ship up as security for a loan). The Constitution of 1776 established an Admiralty Court to try capture and seizures made and brought into Maryland ports. The court functioned until 1789, when the U.S. Constitution assigned admiralty jurisdiction to the federal courts.

The Provincial Court - The exact date of the creation of the Provincial Court is unknown; it is likely that it dates from Leonard Calvert's commission as Lieutenant General of the colony in 1637, which gave him the authority to try all cases except those concerning life, member, or freehold. Originally called the County Court, the Provincial Court was modeled after the English county courts. The name change probably occurred sometime between 1640 and 1642, when St. Mary's and Kent counties were created, each with a county court. The Provincial Court had concurrent jurisdiction with the county courts in most matters, served as an appellate court to the county courts, and had original jurisdiction in criminal cases involving life or member and in civil cases with value above a given sum or poundage of tobacco, which varied throughout the court's history. The Provincial Court also heard chancery, testamentary, and guardianship cases until the Chancery and Prerogative Courts were established and guardianship matters were transferred to the county courts. In addition, the Provincial Court had concurrent jurisdiction with the county courts in recording conveyances of land, which was compulsory after 1663.

The Prerogative Court - The probate court of Maryland for the greater part of the colonial period was called the Prerogative Court which was responsible for overseeing the administration of all the records related to the estate of a deceased person.

[Frist] Frist, William H. and Shirley Wilson. "Good people beget good people": a genealogy of the Frist family. Maryland:Rowman & Littlefield. 2003.

[Hendrickson] Bendler, Bruce A. "The Hendrickson Family in Cecil County, Maryland: The First Three Generations," The Maryland and Delaware Genealogist, Vol. 31, No. 1 (Winter 1990):20-22. FHL US/CAN Book 975 B2m.

Immigration

The New Early Settlers of Maryland database is a great place to start searching for immigrants who had arrived in the colony by the 1680s. The database "comprises 34,326 entries from Gust Skordas' Early Settlers of Maryland and Carson Gibb's Supplement to the Early Settlers of Maryland." Available online, courtesy: Maryland State Archives.

Land

Cecil County was created in 1674 from Baltimore County and Kent County however land patents and certificates date from 1649 in the area that now comprises Cecil County.[2] The earliest land deed for Cecil County itself was recorded in 1674. [6]

The Nottingham Lots and the Early Quaker Families A Paper Presented by Robert Warwick Day, Ph.D. Spartanburg, South Carolina in celebration of the 300th anniversary of the founding in 1701 of the Nottingham Lots by William Penn and early Quaker settlers of Chester County, PA.

History of Cecil County, Maryland, and the early settlements around the head of Chesapeake Bay and on the Delaware River, with sketches of some of the old families of Cecil County by George Johnston. [4]

Map of the upper part of the peninsula, showing the locations of Indian Forts, Early Land Grants and Boundary Lines drawn by Geo. M. Reese under the direction of George Johnston, the author of History of Cecil County, Maryland and designed to illustrate the history of Cecil County.

County formation maps - Maps made with the use AniMap Plus County Boundary Historical AniMap 3.0. This shows all the county boundary changes for each year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries.

Military

John F. DeWitt Military Museum at the Historical Society of Cecil County 135 E. Main Street, Elkton 410-398-1790Impressive display of military memorabilia from the Revolutionary War through Desert Storm.

Revolutionary War

A Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services: With their Names, Ages, and Places of Residence, as Returned by the Marshalls of the Several Judicial Districts, Under the Act for Taking the Sixth Census]. 1841. Digital version at Google Books. 1967 reprint: FHL Collection 973 X2pc 1840. [See Maryland, Cecil County on page 127.]

Cecil County Bicentennial Committee. Cecil County in the Revolutionary War : being an account of some of the experiences, events and locations prominent to Cecil County and it's [sic] citizens during the period of 1776 to 1783. Elkton, Md. : The Cecil County Bicentennial Committee, 1976.

War of 1812

List of Pensioners on the Roll, January 1, 1883; Giving the Name of Each Pensioner, the Cause for Why Pensioned, the Post-Office Address, the Rate of Pension Per Month, and the Date of Original Allowance... Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1883. FHL Collection 973 M2Lp v. 5; digital versions at Google Books and Internet Archive. [See Vol. 5, Maryland, Cecil County, pp. 142-145. Identifies War of 1812 veterans living in this county in 1883.]

Civil War

Civil War History for Cecil County, Maryland - Muffled drums and mustard spoons : Cecil County, Maryland, 1860-1865[9]

Civil War

Civil War service men from Cecil County served in various regiments. Men often joined a regiment or a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are the military units that were formed in or had many men from Cecil County.

The Genealogical Society of Cecil County, an organization established in 1977, ceased operating as an independent nonprofit corporation in 2005. Under an arrangement made with the Historical Society of Cecil County, the family-history oriented group has given up its independent status and turned its resources over to the Historical Society.They made a donation of over $2,000 to the Historical Society.

The Historical Society of Cecil County

The library has the largest collection of books, manuscripts, maps, government documents and newspapers pertaining to Cecil County in existence. The constantly expanding collection contains over 2,000 books and 12,000 issues of newspapers (starting in 1827). The library preserves newspaper clippings, obituaries, souvenir booklets, pamphlets, and other memorabilia related to county families, businesses, organizations, churches, schools, towns, industries, and important events in vertical files. Photographic collections include an impressive array of postcards, slides, prints, glass plates, negatives, lantern slides, stereo cards and daguerreotypes. Wills, land records, correspondence, receipt, business and organization records and much more comprise the manuscript collection.

135 E. Main Street Elkton, MD 21921; email: history@cchistory.orgThe Historical Society of Cecil County is open to the public at the following times. They are closed on all major holidays. Monday ………………………………………………….. 10:00 a.m.— 4:00 p.m. Tuesday………………………………………………….. 6:00 p.m.— 8:30 p.m. Thursday…………………………………………………. 10:00 a.m. — 4:00 p.m. 1st and 4th Saturday of Each Month…………………….. 10:00 a.m.— 2:00 p.m. List of closings

Museum and Library Admission: $6 for all non-member visitors; members are free. Please note that picture identification and the completion of a one-time registration form is required for all library patrons. Please visit the library’s visitor information pages for complete information. Library Visitor Information

The use of any username and password on our site is for personal and educational purposes only, and constitutes agreement to abide by any and all copyright restrictions. In most instances the username aaco and password aaco# will work. Contact ref@mdsa.net if you have any questions or have difficulty accessing files.

Directions/HoursThe public search room is open Tuesday through Friday and most Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Archives is CLOSED ON SUNDAYS, MONDAYS, the FIRST SATURDAY OF EVERY MONTH, and SATURDAYS OF HOLIDAY WEEKENDS. Check website for annual closings.

Records are pulled every half hour starting at 8:45 with the last pull of the day at 3:45. On Saturdays, due to limited staffing, the Searchroom and Microfilm Rooms remain open to the public between 11:30 and 1:30, but record pulls are not performed at 11:45, 12:15, 12:45 and 1:15.

The Maryland State Law Library provides legal information to the State's appellate courts and other branches of State government and serves as a resource center for Circuit Court libraries throughout the State. We are open to the public, and we encourage the use of the Library's many resources, including laws, general reference materials, state and federal government documents, and state and local histories.

Hours- Check this Maryland State Law Library Holiday Closures Calendar for all holiday closures. Visitors should check the Judiciary Information Line for delays and closings due to inclement weather or emergencies. All visitors are required to go through a metal detector.

Directions - The Maryland State Law Library is located just outside of downtown Annapolis at 361 Rowe Blvd just one block south the Navy Stadium. We are in the first floor the Courts of Appeal Building.

[1783] Cecil County Tax List of 1783 : First, Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth Districts. This is an alphabetical index to names to all property owners assessed. The index cards at the Maryland State Archives include county, hundred, names of tracts of land and whether individuals were paupers or single males as provided in the law.

Vital Records

In 1898, the General Assembly passed a law that initiated the registration of births in the 23 counties (Chapter 312, Acts of 1898). At first, compliance with the law on the local level was incomplete. As the State Board of Health gradually increased its control over the local boards, registration became more reliable. Researchers should keep in mind, however, that as late as 1914 the Board of Health was still working to increase compliance with the law, and some births went unrecorded.

The 1898 law dictated that "the record of a birth shall state the date and place of its occurrence, name in full, sex and color, and the number of the child, whether living or still born, and the names, color, occupation, birth place and residence of parents, name and address of the physician, midwife or attendant at the birth".

The Maryland State Archives also has indexing from 1875 through 1950. The early index (1875-1919) is arranged alphabetically by the surname of the child (or by the parents' surname if the child's name is not given). The index provides the child's name (if given), the names of the parents, the date of birth, and the county. The later index (1920-1950) is in Soundex order by the surname of the child; within the Soundex classification it is alphabetical by the father's first name. When no father's name is given, the card is filed at the beginning of the Soundex class. Children of unmarried couples are listed twice, under the names of both parents. This later index provides the names of the child and the parents, the date and county of birth, and the child's race and birth order. Although these indexes are open to the public, please note that the birth certificates themselves are restricted for 100 years after the date of birth. [10]

↑ 4.04.1 Johnston, George. History of Cecil County, Maryland, and the early settlements around the head of Chesapeake Bay and on the Delaware River, with sketches of some of the old families of Cecil County. Elkton, Maryland: George Johnston, 1881.

↑ William Hand Browne, ed., Archives of Maryland: Proceedings and Acts of the General Assembly of Maryland October 1678-November 1683 (Baltimore: Maryland Historical Society, 1889).